FILM STARSINSTALLER PROFILESBringin’ Service Back Zafer Yousef Tint Pros, Parma, OhioWeathering a tough economy is a feat for any small business;
thriving in a recession is a herculean accomplishment. Zafer Yousef, owner
of Tint Pros, a five-man operation based in Parma, Ohio, certainly knows
how to grow a business when other companies are cutting back.

The installer owner, who began tinting in 1988 through his
brother’s northeast Ohio chain Auto Accents, says he built his company
with less than $1,000.

Started From the Bottom
“I started Tint Pros in October 2007 from nothing,” says Yousef. “I went
to work for a friend who had a car audio place that did tinting in the
beginning of 2007. The company wasn’t moving in a forward direction so
I made a suggestion that we offer mobile window tinting. We didn’t have
a lot to start with. We had about $800 to $1,000 we used to buy our first
window tint.”

Yousef attributes his success to the efforts he has undertaken
to build strong relationships with customers.

“I went and solicited dealerships and offered window tint
for a very low price, about $125 a car, and told the dealerships we’d
come to them and tint the car in their shop,” he says. “We did very good
work so I started raising the prices a bit and by 2008 I rented a building.
I stopped doing mobile tinting and told the dealers they needed to come
to us.

“By then we had established our name,” he adds. “If we
received a call about a job, we’d be there in 20 minutes. The dealerships
appreciated that and passed our name on to other dealers. We were highly
recommended and became popular among them … About 80 percent of our business
is high-end dealers.”

Though his company originally started with automotive tinting,
Yousef has added clear bra protection as well as architectural films,
which he says are his favorite to install.

“We’re a 3M dealer for automotive but we’ve found they may
not offer everything we need for flat glass so we offer that from several
suppliers including Johnson, Suntek, Global and LLumar. We let the customer
know we’re not here to sell you a particular brand; we want to sell you
what you need.”

The Customer is King
Customer service, says Yousef, helps set Tint Pros apart from the competition.

“We wash every car before and after we tint. We put floor
mats in the car and have a waiting room with WiFi, a flat-screen television
and a refrigerator stocked with waters and sodas. We offer customers rides
to the mall or back home while they wait,” Yousef says. “Customer service
has gone downhill and we’ve brought that back. That’s what wins them over.
Sometimes I’ll spend 45 minutes with a customer helping to choose the
right shade of tint.”

Increased demand has led Yousef to consider opening another
location.

“We’re scheduling about two weeks in advance now, which
is nice, instead of having to go around and beg dealers to give me jobs,”
he says. “We’re hoping to open a new location by March 2014.”

As for growing a business at the height of the recession,
Yousef says he had his doubts.

“I’ve always had that feeling that it’s too good to be
true; I was waiting for it to tank,” he says. “But it keeps getting busier
and we keep raising prices … I believe in God and I believe he has been
blessing me in this business.”